A snippet of the song “World Arena” can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

“People can expect what to my ears is the best VENGEANCE album to date,” declares guitarist Timo Somers. “The songs are a nice blend of old-school VENGEANCE (think ‘Arabia’) and some more modern-sounding songs. This time the instrumental side of the band is really outspoken; it features a lot of nice intros, solos and instrumental pieces. And to top it off, Leon [Goewie, vocals] sounds better than ever.”

Somers promises eleven gripping new compositions: “‘Raintime’ is the fastest song on the album. The song kind of sounds like a Malmsteen song with Leon on vocals. Double bass, big chorus and a fast guitar solo are the keywords.” The most typical song is the title track “Piece Of Cake”. Somers says: “We needed a party song for the album and we wrote this together in about an hour in the studio. It’s this typical AC/DC thing with Leon going nuts and some Van Halen-like guitars.” The most unusual song is “Back To Square One”, a blues rock ballad in the vein of Gary Moore. “I don’t think a lot of people know this side of VENGEANCE,” Somers suggests, “but it showcases our more soulful side.”

VENGEANCE will embark on a European tour with labelmates MAD MAX this fall. “This is a double tour together with MAD MAX to celebrate our new albums being released on the same day,” Somers says. “I’m pretty sure we’ll be on tour in spring 2014 as well — we’re working on that at the moment.”

Dutch rockers VENGEANCE will release their new album, “Piece Of Cake”, on November 5 (October 28 in Europe) via SPV/Steamhammer.

“People can expect what to my ears is the best VENGEANCE album to date,” declares guitarist Timo Somers. “The songs are a nice blend of old-school VENGEANCE (think ‘Arabia’) and some more modern-sounding songs. This time the instrumental side of the band is really outspoken; it features a lot of nice intros, solos and instrumental pieces. And to top it off, Leon [Goewie, vocals] sounds better than ever.”

Somers promises eleven gripping new compositions: “‘Raintime’ is the fastest song on the album. The song kind of sounds like a Malmsteen song with Leon on vocals. Double bass, big chorus and a fast guitar solo are the keywords.” The most typical song is the title track “Piece Of Cake”. Somers says: “We needed a party song for the album and we wrote this together in about an hour in the studio. It’s this typical AC/DC thing with Leon going nuts and some Van Halen-like guitars.” The most unusual song is “Back To Square One”, a blues rock ballad in the vein of Gary Moore. “I don’t think a lot of people know this side of VENGEANCE,” Somers suggests, “but it showcases our more soulful side.”

VENGEANCE will embark on a European tour with labelmates MAD MAX this fall. “This is a double tour together with MAD MAX to celebrate our new albums being released on the same day,” Somers says. “I’m pretty sure we’ll be on tour in spring 2014 as well — we’re working on that at the moment.”

German modern power metal act Heavatar, the new project from Van Canto mastermind Stefan Schmidt, is set to release the debut LP “Opus I – All My Kingdoms” on February 22, 2013 through Napalm Records.

With Heavatar, Schmidt exchanges the “A Cappella” style, manning the rhythm guitar as well as lead vocals. Supporting him is Ex-Stratovarius drummer Jörg Michael, and Ex-Fading Starlight guitarist Sebastian Scharf.

According to the press release: “[e]ach song borrows – some more, some less – a motif from classical composers – ranging from Bach to Paganini and Beethoven. The epic songs are filled with mighty choirs, which are performed by members of the “Blind Guarding” choir-team and of course, Stefan’s friends in Van Canto. The artwork was created by the renowned fantasy artist Kerem Beyit. ‘All My Kingdoms’ is a celebration for Power Metal fans, who love catchy refrains, epic choirs, classic tunes, heavy riffs and thundering double-bass. The debut will also take supports of different genres by storm – to the Metal!”

The track listing for “Opus I – All My Kingdoms” is:

1. Replica
2. Abracadabra
3. All My Kingdoms
4. Elysium At Dawn
5. Long Way Home
6. Born to Fly
7. Luna! Luna!
8. The Look Above
9. To the Metal

Circle Of Silence is currently recording the new album “The Rise Of Resistance” at the Maranis Studios in Backnang, Germany. The band commented about the sound of the upcoming record:

“The first impression is that the new ones are a bit heavier than the stuff from ‘The Blackened Halo’ and a bit more straight forward. A lot of double-bass action is going on in those first songs!”

The guys have already posted the artwork of “The Rise Of Resistance,” which was created by Francisco Garcés (a.k.a. Dibujante Nocturno) and can be viewed below.

Circle of Silence has also released a couple of song titles that will be featured on the album: “Eyes Of Anarchy,” “Mind Conspiracy,” “An Oncoming Storm,” “Slave To The Greed Machine,” “Blood Of Enemies,” and “One Moment Of Hate.”

Italian metal act Steel Raiser will release its sophomore LP “Regeneration” on January 25, 2013 through Pure Steel Records. The album is the follow up to the 2008 LP “Race of Steel.”

According to the press release: “[w]ith their second album “Regeneration” they now have even more to offer: a fat and powerful double-bass, 80s riffs, and rough high-pitch-vocals which seem like a mixture of Rob Halford, Udo Dirkschneider and David Wayne. Sometimes this reminds you a bit of PRIEST’s “Painkiller”. The straight songs (track 4 & 6) are probably the ones that are ideal for metal-heads: concise riffs, a tight grooving rhythm and a simply structured but effective songwriting.”

Fnnish symphonic metal act Stratovarius, which announced the new LP “Nemesis” yesterday, unveiled the album’s artwork and track listing (shown below). The album will come as a standard 11 track edition along with a special edition with two additional bonus track and the album is set to drop on February 22, 2013 via earMusic.

Guitarist/producer Matias Kupiainen commented: “I have more or less lived in the studio for four months, obsessing over every detail. I feel very relieved that we are done and I am very happy with the material and the sound.”

Vocalist Timo Kotipelto added: “Making the album this time was easier because we gave it as much time as it needed. We have worked our asses off to make this and we hope the fans will like it.”

According to the press release: “The album has it all. From the typical melodic and powerful Stratovarius sound in ‘Abandon,’ to the aggressive and energetic ‘Stand My Ground,’ the album represents the new style of the band mixed with good old melodic power metal. Stratovarius’ musical approach is today wider and richer than ever. The song ‘Fantasy’ sounds almost ABBA-esque with its catchy pop tune, but it´s powered by the famous Stratovarius metal sound, louder than ever. ‘Out Of The Fog’ integrates some folk music elements, with lyrics telling the story of a young person forced to march blindly into battle. The only ballad on the album, ‘If The Story Is Over,’ is a very emotional song with a grand arrangement that builds up to using the full band and ends with a small female choir.

“The title track ‘Nemesis’ is a typical Stratovarius song, with echoes of medieval melodies with powerful double bass drumming and the catchy pop melodies from this side of the millennium.”

Kotepelto commented on the title track: “The title track of the album; with its modern twist on the myth of Nemesis, it tells a story of a preacher who gives each one what they deserve, good or bad. The song has a very nice riff, cool melodies and a great good old Stratovarius style chorus.”

The first single, “Unbreakable,” will be released on January 25, 2013 as a special EP. A preview clip and more info on the EP can be found at this location.

The track listing for “Nemesis” is as follows:

1. Abandon2. Unbreakable3. Stand My Ground4. Halcyon Days5. Fantasy6. Out Of The Fog7. Castles In The Air8. Dragons9. One Must Fall10. If The Story Is Over11. Nemesis

Hudson Music is pleased to announce the release of “Intense Metal Drumming II,” with metal drummer and educator George Kollias (Nile). Produced independently by Kollias, and appearing on the Hudson Ltd. label, this brand-new 2 disc set comes 4 years after George’s first instructional DVD release. The following press release was issued about the DVD set:

“Providing multiple workouts and specific concepts, Intense Metal Drumming II is a highly educational product that goes beyond ‘licks’ and gives you a meaningful program that can help you in pushing your abilities to the next level. Topics covered include blast beat concepts and workouts, extreme fill-ins, developing speed around the kit, and odd time concepts.

“George also covers reading concepts, practicing systems, general tips, and warm-ups, which take this DVD beyond just ‘metal’ and make it useful and helpful for drummers of all styles. Another highlight of the DVD is a complete section on double bass speed, control, balance, and expanded vocabulary.

“Bonus features include a PDF containing all the exercises on the DVD, a documentary from George’s 2010-2011 clinic tour, backstage footage, an equipment tour, and extensive interview with George.”

“George Kollias does away with any preconceptions that metal drummers like the musical sophistication and education ability of other types of players,” said Hudson Senior Drum Editor Joe Bergamini. “As this DVD makes clear, George is not only an incredible player, but an enthusiastic and effective educator, who provides a detailed program here that will definitely help drummers of all styles with their command of the drum set. And of course, metal players will want to grab this DVD as soon as it hits the street, because it is so jam-packed with clear concepts and specific exercises to bring your metal vocabulary, control, and speed to the next level.”

“Treason, Politics & Death,” a brand new song from Mexico City-based act Acrania, can be downloaded for free at this location or streamed through the player below.

The track comes off the band’s second album “An Uncertain Collision,” which will be released on October 20th. The CD was recorded at Circo Volador Studios in Mexico City and was engineered and mixed by J.C. Chávez and Luis Oropeza. The album features artwork made by Eliran Kantor (Atheist, Testament, Sodom, etc.). The track listing is:

Acrania’s drummer J.C. Chávez stated about the band’s new CD: “I think this time we found the 100% right mix, we finally managed to blend such different styles as Latin Jazz & Death/Thrash Metal, you’re in for a surprise, imagine a Latin version of Orphaned Land mixed with Atheist, having instruments such as saxophone or trumpet leading the way into the unknown. It’s metal, it’s groovy, it’s filled with fast riffs, double bass attacks and brutal groovy songs!” He added, “Artwork is a very important part of it all for us, that’s why the only choice was Eliran Kantor, and as always, he delivered just what the album needed, his art instantly takes your imagination into another dimension, which is exactly what our music does.”